Wireless devices are increasingly used for numerous purposes, including to access media from online sources. Online content providers consequently offer a wide selection of media products to consumers, including movies, television programming, and music, in both downloadable and streaming formats. Matching consumers with the most appropriate products is vital for enhancing user satisfaction and loyalty. Content providers face challenges in making media recommendations based on personalized consumer preference and tastes.
In a wireless communication system, an access node can provide streaming media to a wireless device via a unicast transmission. However, the network resources required for providing unicast transmissions increase linearly with the number of wireless devices requesting such unicast transmissions. As greater and greater numbers of wireless devices in a service area request streaming media, the impact on network resources can become pronounced.